6 Tips for Choosing a Wedding Photographer

Congratulations! You’re getting married- and you’re realizing that planning a wedding can be very stressful. After all the work you’re putting into it, you want the pictures to be absolutely perfect. Choosing a photographer doesn’t have to be the most stressful part of your wedding, and here are six tips to prove it.

1. Decide on a price range.

Wedding photography packages can get pretty pricy. Ask friends and acquaintances that have recently gotten married what their photographer charged and research your area online so you can get an idea for the average price in your area. As you do this, keep your budget in mind and discuss with your partner what price you two are comfortable with. Write it down and stick to it. This will make it easier to eliminate photographers quickly by looking at their packages and pricing options.

2. Decide what style of photography you like.

Ask yourself lots of questions to make sure you know what kind of photographer you are looking for. Do you want somebody who takes lots of posed photos, or a photographer that takes more natural and candid poses? Do you like detail orientated pictures or wide landscape shots? Do you want somebody who does a lot of editing or somebody who takes photos that feel more raw? The more you narrow down the style of photography you like, the easier it will be for you to find a photographer that meets your needs.

3. Do your research!

Unfortunately, there are many scam artists who prey on vulnerable people looking for beautiful photography at a cheap price. They may steal images from real photographers and put them on a new site in order to lure in unsuspecting couples. In order to be certain the photographer you are researching is a legitimate photographer, the New York Times recommends asking other businesses (caterers, venues, florists, etc) about the photographer you are researching to see if they’ve worked with them before. That same article also suggests asking photographers you know about the photographer you’re researching, or even just doing a simple Google search to find reviews on other web sites. You could look photographers up on sites such as The Knot (a popular site for wedding planning) to see if they have reviews there.

4. Contact potential photographers right away.

Once you’ve discovered a couple of good options, send each one a message or give them a call with a list of topics to cover in hand. Tell them what you are looking for in a photographer, give them wedding dates, and ask them exactly what you will get for the price you’ll be paying. When you start getting responses back (or as you’re listening to their answers), pay attention to see if their personality will work with you and your partner. You want to feel at ease and comfortable with your photographer on your big day so that your pictures look natural and happy.

5. Meet in person.

The Huffington Post suggests that once you’ve narrowed your photographer options down to three photographers, you should arrange to meet with them in person to see who the best fit is. By meeting in person, you can see their personality up close before the big day, and you can discuss things like a customized wedding package to suit your needs and the kind of expectations you have for the big day.

6. Ask for a contract.

Once you think you’ve found the exact photographer you want, ask them to work out and sign a wedding contract with you. The New York Times suggests that you and your photographer outline expectations for the wedding day. Make sure it states things like how many photographers will be present, how many hours the photographer is expected to put in on your day, or even specific shots you know that you can’t live without. This will protect you and the photographer, and help make sure your day runs smoothly.

By keeping these basic tips in mind, selecting a photographer for your wedding day doesn’t have to be such a hassle. You can do it!

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